Red Deer city council has been asked to approve a development permit for a new addictions treatment trailer in the Railyards area.
The trailer offering mobile rapid access addiction medicine service will be located in a parking lot next to Safe Harbour Society's detox treatment centre and overnight shelter at 5246 53 Ave.
In a letter of intent, Recovery Alberta says the rapid access addiction service is a "key component in the transition of services away from the current Red Deer Overdose Prevention Site."
The overdose prevention site has been operating out of an ATCO trailer in the detox centre parking lot since 2018. It was run by Turning Point Society until last year when Alberta Health Services (later Recovery Alberta) took over. It is slated to close by the end of March 2025.
Recovery Alberta says the rapid access addiction trailer is expected to be ready by the beginning of next month. It will use a wheeled trailer originally designed as overdose prevention site. Booths used for drug consumption will be "re-purposed to provide client care services instead."
Rapid-response care will be offered for substance abuse disorders, including medication-assisted treatment. Counselling and follow-up support will be offered along with harm reduction services, such as the provision of clean needles and the anti-overdose drug naloxone.
Drug consumption will not be allowed on site and those requiring addictions help will be referred or handed off to treatment services. Rapid access service will be offered 12 hours a day seven days a week. It will be staffed with nurses and other addictions experts.
The new service is permitted use on the property, which is zoned for non-medical detoxification centres, overnight shelter programs and commercial use.
Council will consider the permit application at its Tuesday meeting.
Council will also consider at that meeting, first readings of zoning bylaw changes related to Safe Harbour Society's existing temporary shelter in the old Cannery Row building, as well as Safe Harbour's detoxification centre and overnight shelter.
The temporary shelter has been open since March 2020 and has been granted permission to remain there until May, 2025 under a sunset clause. A proposed amendment extends the sunset clause to May 1, 2028.
As well, zoning will be amended to allow the site to house an emergency shelter, which offers health, education and other programs and services but does not provide residential treatment programs.
A zoning amendment will also be considered for the detoxification centre and overnight shelter. Current zoning limits the detoxification centre and shelter to 46 beds.
However, the province has approved funding for an additional four beds. Rather than increase the limit to 50 beds, city planning staff are recommending the limit be removed, allowing for further expansion.
A report to council says public consultation on the zoning change has not yet been completed.
"Time constraints are a significant factor in the rezoning. Service providers require the rezonings to be in place to utilize the grant money provided.
"The city has previously undertaken significant consultation regarding temporary shelter and addiction recovery, and administration believes the information collected would still hold true today."
The public will have an opportunity to comment at the public hearing stage and landowners within 100 metres and within the zoning district will be notified.
Another zoning change would see supervised consumption services and institutional services facility removed as a discretionary use (requiring council's approval) on a property at 5233 54th. The site was once eyed for an overdose prevention site but is no longer being considered for that use.
Removing the previous possible uses will "reduce risk and keep the Zoning Bylaw up to date," says the planning report.
